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Hannah and Pninah, once close childhood friends, become rivals for the attention of Elkanah, the man who has married them both. Pninah, passionate and independent, easily bears Elkanah many children, but bitter that he has taken her friend as a second wife, seeks fulfillment with her own secret lover. Hannah, the epitome of goodness and grace, r... more »emains completely devoted to her husband, but remains childless for many years, until a promise to God brings her the son she has yearned for.

Despite their differences, these two women must learn to live together, protecting their own interests as well as each other’s, while sharing not only the love of their husband, but that of Hannah’s son Samuel, who will become one of the great prophets of the Jewish people.« less

Top Member Book Reviews

I LOVED the Red Tent, this was no Red Tent. I was completely indifferent to the characters, who really had no redeeming qualities. I just didn't care about them. Compounding this, I also didn't care for the writing style; the chapters go back/forth told between 2 different women's views. If I skimmed over the title of each chapter, I would get confused and have to go back and reread.

For a book with, for the most part 2 women as the main characters (and limited development of any other characters), no emotional attachment to the characters, barely a story, only a hint of romance (nothing I'd think to satisfy romance readers)...it just doesn't have alot going for it.

I have 2 other unread books by this author and not sure if I'll be giving them a chance, at least not for a long while. I couldn't wait to finish this book and start a new one that grabbed me.

I loved "The Red Tent", and read this because it had been compared to it. However, the similarity between the two books is limited to their having been inspired by biblical women. "The Red Tent" is a well-written, complex novel that is as much an historical exploration of how people lived during those times as it is about the characters. "The Song of Hannah" is simply a potboiling romance set in biblical times. It could have been set in any time. The writing relies on some rather silly conventions for building tension, and the "twists" can be seen coming from miles away.

If you enjoy romantic fiction, you'll probably like this book. If, however, you appreciated the historic complexity of "The Red Tent", you won't find it here.